What Is a Payment Request?
A payment request is a digital message — SMS, email, WhatsApp, or QR code — that contains a link to a branded checkout page. The recipient clicks, chooses their payment method, pays, and the sender gets instant confirmation.
It replaces:
Invoices that sit unpaid for 30–90 days
Card details read over the phone (a PCI compliance risk)
Bank transfer requests that need manual reconciliation
"Please bring your card when you visit" — friction that delays payment
Payment requests work for any business that collects money from customers, clients, or patients — from a £50 service invoice to a £30,000 vehicle deposit.
How to Send a Payment Request: 5 Methods
1. SMS Payment Request
The fastest delivery channel. The customer receives a text with a short message and a link to pay.
Best for: Immediate requests during or after a conversation. Appointment deposits. Delivery charges. Balance reminders.
Why it works: SMS open rates exceed 90%. Most people read a text within 3 minutes. The payment link opens in a mobile browser — no app required.
Example: "Hi Sarah — your vehicle deposit of £2,000 is ready to pay. Tap here to complete: [link]. Payment options: card, Apple Pay, or bank transfer."
2. Email Payment Request
Longer-form delivery with space for invoice details, itemisation, and branding.
Best for: Invoice-attached requests. Monthly statements. Professional services. B2B payments where the recipient needs a paper trail.
Why it works: Email supports rich formatting — your logo, line items, payment terms, and a prominent "Pay Now" button. Forwards easily within organisations (e.g., tradesperson forwards to their accounts department).
3. WhatsApp Payment Request
Delivered through the customer's preferred messaging app. Higher engagement than email for consumer audiences.
Best for: Hospitality (hotel deposits, restaurant pre-payments). Retail follow-ups. Service businesses where WhatsApp is the primary communication channel.
Why it works: WhatsApp messages have even higher open rates than SMS. The conversational context (previous messages, booking details) sits alongside the payment request.
4. QR Code Payment Request
A scannable code displayed in-person — on an invoice, receipt, counter display, or screen.
Best for: Point-of-sale alternatives. Trade counters. Showroom displays. Event payments. Invoices that include a "scan to pay" option.
Why it works: No need to collect contact details. The customer scans and pays from their own device. Useful in environments where terminals aren't practical or where you want to offer card-free options.
5. Phone Payment (Voice Checkout)
The customer pays during a phone call by entering card details via keypad, without reading numbers aloud.
Best for: Contact centres. Insurance renewals. Debt collection. Any business where customers call to pay and you want to capture payment during the conversation — not send a link and hope they pay later.
How it works: The staff member triggers a payment capture. The customer enters their 16-digit card number, expiry, and CVV via keypad (DTMF). The tones are masked — the agent never hears them. Payment completes in seconds. The call continues.
This is fundamentally different from "sending a payment request." It's capturing payment in real time during a conversation. For businesses that handle phone-based payments daily, voice checkout is faster and higher-converting than sending a link mid-call.
Payment Methods Customers Can Use
A good payment request supports multiple payment methods on a single checkout page. The customer chooses what works for them:
Payment Method | Best For | Fees | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|
Card (Visa, Mastercard, Amex) | Universal — works for any amount | 1.5–2.5% | Instant confirmation, 1–3 day settlement |
Open Banking / Pay by Bank | High-value transactions (£1,000+) | Fraction of card fees | Near-instant confirmation and settlement |
Apple Pay | Mobile-first customers | Same as card | Instant — biometric authentication |
Google Pay | Android users | Same as card | Instant — biometric authentication |
PayPal | Customers who prefer PayPal | 2.5–3.5% | Instant confirmation |
BNPL (Klarna, Affirm) | Consumer purchases where instalments help conversion | Provider-dependent | Instant for merchant, instalments for customer |
ACH Direct Debit | US bank payments | Low fixed fee | 2–3 business days |
BACS Direct Debit | UK recurring payments | Low fixed fee | 2–3 business days |
Open banking deserves special attention. For businesses processing high-value transactions — car dealerships, property, trade supplies, professional services — the card fee savings from Pay by Bank are substantial. A £20,000 transaction at 2% card fees costs £400. Pay by Bank costs pennies. Offering both on the same payment link lets the customer choose while the business saves.
Payment Request Software: What to Look For
Branding
The checkout page should look like your business — logo, colours, domain. For high-value payments, trust matters. A generic third-party page creates doubt.
Multi-channel delivery
SMS + email + WhatsApp + QR at minimum. Different customers prefer different channels. The same payment link should work across all of them.
Payment method coverage
Cards, open banking, Apple Pay, Google Pay as a baseline. BNPL if you serve consumers. ACH/BACS if you handle recurring or US payments.
Reminders and chase
Automated follow-ups for unpaid requests. Configurable intervals (3 days, 7 days, on due date). Escalation from email to SMS for unresponsive recipients.
Real-time tracking
See which requests are sent, viewed, started, and completed. Know when a customer opens the link but doesn't pay — that's a signal for a follow-up call.
PCI compliance
If the software handles card data, the provider must be PCI DSS certified. Level 1 is the highest standard. This keeps card data out of your environment entirely.
API and integrations
Can you trigger payment requests from your existing systems — CRM, ERP, accounting software, booking system? API access, Zapier, and Make.com connectors eliminate manual link creation.
Multi-PSP support
Does the tool work with your existing payment gateway? Can you switch gateways without re-implementing? For platforms serving multiple merchants, can each merchant use their own PSP?
Comparing Payment Request Tools
Shuttle | Prommt | Stripe Payment Links | PayPal.Me | GoCardless | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
SMS delivery | Yes | Yes | No (link only) | No (link only) | No |
Email delivery | Yes | Yes | No | No | Yes |
Yes | Via chat integration | No | No | No | |
Open banking | Yes (UK) | Yes (14 countries) | No | No | Yes (direct debit) |
Card payments | Yes (40+ PSPs) | Yes (merchant's gateway) | Yes (Stripe only) | No (PayPal only) | No |
Apple Pay / Google Pay | Yes | Limited | Yes | No | No |
Voice checkout | Yes (DTMF) | No | No | No | No |
White-label | Full branding | Branded pages | Stripe-branded | PayPal-branded | GoCardless-branded |
Multi-PSP | 40+ gateways | Merchant's gateway | Stripe only | PayPal only | GoCardless only |
Platform/multi-merchant | Yes | No | Limited | No | No |
Pricing | From $49/user/month | From €299/month | Free (Stripe fees apply) | Free (PayPal fees apply) | Custom |
Stripe Payment Links and PayPal.Me are free but lock you into a single PSP, offer no SMS delivery, and can't be white-labelled. They work for simple use cases but don't scale.
**Prommt** is strong for high-value transactions with European open banking, but costs significantly more and doesn't offer voice checkout or multi-PSP support. See the full Shuttle vs Prommt comparison.
GoCardless is excellent for recurring direct debit but doesn't support card payments or one-off payment links.
FAQ
How do I send a payment request to a customer?
Choose a payment request tool (Shuttle, Prommt, or a PSP-native option like Stripe Links). Create a payment link with the amount and reference. Send it via SMS, email, or WhatsApp. The customer clicks, pays, and you get instant confirmation.
What's the difference between a payment request and an invoice?
An invoice is a document requesting payment. A payment request is a document with a built-in way to pay. The best approach is both together — an invoice with a "Pay Now" link embedded in it. See Payment Links on Invoices.
Which payment method has the lowest fees?
Open banking (Pay by Bank) has the lowest fees — typically pennies per transaction vs 1.5–2.5% for cards. But not all customers have compatible banks, so offering both cards and open banking on the same payment link maximises both conversion and savings.
Can I send payment requests from QuickBooks or Xero?
Yes. See QuickBooks Payment Links and Xero Payment Links for integration guides. Shuttle connects to both via API and workflow automation.
What if the customer wants to pay over the phone?
Use voice checkout to capture card details via keypad during the call. PCI-compliant, instant, and no card numbers read aloud. This is better than sending a link mid-call for customers who want to pay right now.
Are payment requests secure?
Yes. Payment links from PCI DSS Level 1 certified providers (like Shuttle) handle all card data within a certified environment. Open banking payments are authenticated through the customer's own banking app. Both are more secure than taking card details verbally.
Can I automate payment requests from my CRM or billing system?
Yes. Most payment request tools offer APIs and integrations with Zapier, Make.com, and native connectors. Common automations: send a link when an invoice is created, send a reminder when payment is overdue, send a receipt when payment is confirmed.
Related Reading
Payment Links for Car Dealerships — automotive payment collection with links, voice, and open banking
Builders Merchant Payment Collection — payment links and voice checkout for trade suppliers
Shuttle vs Prommt — comparing payment request platforms
Best Payment Link Providers (2026) — ranked comparison of payment link services
Payment Links on Invoices — embed payment links in your invoices
QuickBooks Payment Links — payment links for QuickBooks users
What Are Voice Payments? — the complete guide to voice payment channels
White-Label Payment Links for Platforms — branded payment pages for multi-merchant businesses
Send payment requests that actually get paid.
Shuttle gives you branded payment links with cards, open banking, Apple Pay, and voice checkout — from $49/month. Send via SMS, email, or WhatsApp. Get paid in seconds.
See Payment Links | Book a Demo